-Lactamase Variable Expression in Common Multidrug-Resistant Nosocomial Bacterial Pathogens from a Tertiary Hospital in Cairo, Egypt.

The emergence of () -lactamases conferring resistance to the third-generation cephalosporins has become a major clinical concern worldwide. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the expression of -lactamase encoding gene among the pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative resistant bacteria screened from clinical samples of Egyptian patients enrolled into El-Qasr El-Ainy Tertiary Hospital in Cairo, Egypt. A total of 153 bacterial isolates of the species , and were isolated from patients diagnosed with urinary tract infection (UTI), respiratory tract infection (RTI), and wound infections. The total number of isolates was 53, comprising 29 urine isolates, 5 sputum isolates, and 19 wound swab isolates, whereas the total number of isolates was 49, comprising 27 urine isolates, 7 sputum isolates, and 15 wound swab isolates, and that of the isolates was 51, comprising 20 urine isolates, 25 sputum isolates, and 6 wound swab isolates. Our results indicated that there is no significant difference in the expression of -lactamase gene among the tested bacterial species with respect to the type of infection and/or clinical specimen. However, the expression patterns of -lactamase gene markedly differed according to the antibacterial resistance characteristics of the tested isolates.